Behaviorism: Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of “stimulus-response.” All behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All behavior can be explained without the need to consider internal mental states or consciousness. Some of the contributors include Pavlov, Skinner and Bandura.Behaviorism is a worldview that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli. The learner starts off as a clean slate (i.e. tabula rasa) and behavior is shaped through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Both positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again. In contrast, punishment (both positive and negative) decreases the likelihood that the antecedent behavior will happen again. Positive indicates the application of a stimulus; Negative indicates the withholding of a stimulus. Learning is therefore defined as a change in behavior in the learner. Lots of (early) behaviorist work was done with animals (e.g. Pavlov’s dogs) and generalized to humans.

Cognitivism: The cognitivist paradigm essentially argues that the “black box” of the mind should be opened and understood. The learner is viewed as an information processor (like a computer). The cognitivist revolution replaced behaviorism in 1960s as the dominant paradigm. Piaget is one of the most important contributors. Cognitivism focuses on the inner mental activities – opening the “black box” of the human mind is valuable and necessary for understanding how people learn. Mental processes such as thinking, memory, knowing and problem-solving need to be explored. Knowledge can be seen as schema or symbolic mental constructions. Learning is defined as change in a learner’s schemata.

A response to behaviorism, people are not “programmed animals” that merely respond to environmental stimuli; people are rational beings that require active participation in order to learn, and whose actions are a consequence of thinking. Changes in behavior are observed, but only as an indication of what is occurring in the learner’s head. Cognitivism uses the metaphor of the mind as computer: information comes in, is being processed, and leads to certain outcomes.

Constructivism: Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active, constructive process. The learner is an information constructor. People actively construct or create their own subjective representations of objective reality.

New information is linked to prior knowledge, thus mental representations are subjective. A reaction to didactic approaches such as behaviorism and programmed instruction, constructivism states that learning is an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the environment. Learners continuously test these hypotheses through social negotiation. Each person has a different interpretation and construction of knowledge process. The learner is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) but brings past experiences and cultural factors to a situation. Vygotsky's studies are considered constructivist.http://www.learning-theories.com/

Differentiated Instruction:* Teachers should differentiate instruction in regards to content, process and product according to individual student interest, readiness and learning profile. For example, in regards to learning profile, teachers must provide flexible learning spaces and options (visual, kinesthetic, audio, etc.). In regards to readiness, teachers should differentiate by using varied complexity levelled activities, worksheets, etc., open-ended assignments (in regards to format, skills, time, etc.), supports, varied direct instruction (individual and group), adjustment of topics toward student experience and interest, etc.* Levelled centers (L.A. and math centers work especially well) according to knowledge level. Use colors or some other creative way to label the levels so as not to make higher and lower levels overbearingly obvious.* All students CAN and want to learn. Its our job to find out what their interests, skills, learning styles, background experiences, etc., are in order to find that learning connection that “speaks” to them as individuals.* Help the students learn by making the material relevant by connecting it to them in their own unique lifestyles.* An excellent online resource for differentiated instruction is:http://education.alberta.ca/media/1234045/makingadifference_2010.pdf

Bloom's Taxonomy:Bloom's Taxonomy was created in 1956 under the leadership of educational psychologist Dr. Benjamin Bloom in order to promote higher forms of thinking in education, such as analyzing and evaluating, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning). The committee identified three domains of educational activities or learning (Bloom, 1956):

◦ Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge)◦ Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude or self)◦ Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)This compilation divides the three domains into subdivisions, starting from the simplest behavior to the most complex. The divisions outlined are not absolutes and there are other systems or hierarchies that have been devised in the educational and training world. However, Bloom's taxonomy is easily understood and is probably the most widely applied one in use today.Below are thekey phases of Bloom's idea of the cognitive domain:

Applying: Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations in the work place. Examples: Use a manual to calculate an employee's vacation time. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test. Key Words: applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses.

Creating: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure. Examples: Write a company operations or process manual. Design a machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the outcome. Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes.http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html

Additional random tips:* Have both the curriculum and your learning theories in mind when planning and teaching. Blend them together in a manner that works for you and your unique set of students.* Every classroom MUST be a safe environment! It may be the only safe place some students know. Make it not only physically safe, but also emotionally and mentally as well. Encourage a setting where students can ask and state whatever they feel the need to without fear of criticism or ridicule from both adults and fellow peers.* Encourage individual thinking, problem solving, inquiry, decision making, etc.* Have the necessary materials for each lesson prepared. Also, be conscious of and teach safety regarding any materials used.* Read to your students every day. See “Reading Magic” by Mem Fox for the tremendous benefits thereof. * Develop student portfolios throughout the school year as hands on evidence of student learning and growth. This is also great for Celebrations of Learning events with students and their parents.* Engage students!! Higher levels of student engagement has shown results of higher academic levels and lower behaviour and absence issues.